The Sociological Imagination Theory

Sociologist are invariably trying to decipher the social aspects of the environment around us. When examining these social phenomena, sociologist take a systematic approach in order to extract information. Typically, there are four questions that sociologist come to ask themselves: the empirical, theoretical, comparative, and developmental questions. C. Wright Mills coined a famous phrase called, Sociological imagination. According to Mills, sociological imagination is defined as an awareness or an insight of the environment around us. With this imagination, we are then able to gain a sociological perspective of the world. The application of sociological imagination will enable you to ask questions, and view the interactions of society, and

“Compares one set of findings on one society with the same findings on another society” (Giddens 33). These questions are prominent to figure out the distinction between society and an individual. Crime is defined as any action that defies the laws established, or the deviance towards society that results in criminal behavior. Comparative researchers can look at the Theory of Broken Windows, and compare the society and see the difference, to gain a social insight. Philip Zimbardo created an experiment where two societies; the wealthy community and the poor community. In both communities the cars were vandalized because one unrepaired broken window is a sign that no one cares, so breaking more windows, and committing more serious crimes in a rational

In this questionnaire, researchers try to compare societies in the past and and present. When dealing with crime sociologist might ask “Why are the crimes rates higher now than what they were 50 years ago?” In this study to help focus sociological imagination, we might try to gain insight to explain why the crime rates have risen. To see the world in a more sociological perspective we are then required to look at the the difference in crime between past and present society. Researchers might consider that there is more deviance now than before, which could result in a higher crime rate. The society in the present could’ve developed subcultural groups who adopted norms, that encouraged or rewarded criminal-like behavior. This is one way a sociologist can look at this situation as a developmental